1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications; and, more particularly, to a wireless communications system for providing access to the computer infrastructure of an organization.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the growth in the availability and use of personal portable electronic devices has been phenomenal. Examples of the numerous portable electronic devices that are currently available for personal use include wireless telecommunications devices such as analog and digital cellular devices, direct-to-satellite devices, 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz portable home telephones, CB radios, pagers and 900 MHz point-to-point “walkie-talkies”; Internet access devices such as palmtops and laptops with wireless modems; and information storage devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
Many of these portable electronic devices provide features and capabilities that are not available in other devices; and, as a result, it has become a relatively common practice for an individual to carry around several electronic devices on his or her person. For example, an individual may, at the same time, carry around a device to communicate (e.g., a cell phone), a device for on demand notification (e.g., a pager) and a device to carry small amounts of information (e.g., a PDA or a Palm device).
Most personal portable communications devices currently on the market contain user interfaces of varying complexity, typically either a two-way audio transduction system or a screen and key/mouse/pen entry system; as well as communications hardware and software that are designed to maximize the range and bandwidth of the devices within the constraints of the particular applications for which the devices are designed. In this regard, although voice bandwidth requirements are relatively modest; even devices incorporating voice systems are today used for long-distance batch downloads, thus increasing the bandwidth requirements of the devices. Portable information storage devices often require central information servers and other components that increase their complexity, as well.
In view of the complexity of most personal portable electronic devices, the devices are somewhat costly; and also tend to be rather large and heavy, resulting in that the devices usually must be carried, rather than worn.
Furthermore, each personal portable electronic device comes with its own set of inconveniences. For example, most of the devices require periodic battery charging; and many also require periodic data backup. Also, because they must usually be carried; the devices are highly susceptible to being damaged, lost or mislaid.
Many of the numerous personal portable electronic devices currently in use duplicate capabilities of computer infrastructure that already exists in many organizations. For example, most universities and many companies already possess an extensive network/array of communications and database servers. For the most part, however, such existing infrastructure is only accessible to individuals when they are at their work stations or at other specific locations. The infrastructure is usually inaccessible to individuals as they move about the organization, even if they are carrying a cell phone, pager, PDA, or other portable electronic device.
It would, accordingly, be desirable to provide individuals with access to and the ability to utilize databases, communications capabilities and other features of the computer infrastructure of an organization even when the individual is away from his/her work station or other specific location where access to the infrastructure is normally available.